Multimedia
Podcasting
Podcasting is goofy name that really just means distributing audio (usually mp3 files) as part of your blog. People can then listen to you online or download the file and listen to you on their mp3 player or iPod.
You probably think you have a terrible voice, that no one would want to hear you, that you’d just die if you had to hear your own voice.
Get over it. Everyone thinks that, even the people who make a living with their own voices.
Podcasting is a fantastic way to extend your influence. It gives you a chance to be follow someone around on the subway or at the gym. It lets you subliminally drone on in the background while your potential client does something else. It gives you a platform for interviewing experts and satisfied clients. It makes you look really cool because your competition probably isn’t doing it.
People tend to think the barrier to entry is really high. Expensive recording equipment, software, tech skill.
But it isn’t hard at all. A decent microphone can cost under $50 (incredible, right?), and basic software you need is free.
Video
Some people use the word vodcating. That sounds dumb, so I just say “video.”
Again, people have all the same hangups they have with audio, but even more so.
And again, people think the barrier to entry is high.
Well, as hard as it is, you are just going to have to get over, “I hate the way I look on camera.”
As with podcasting, the tech barrier is much easier than the psychological one. A great digital video camera costs less than $200. You can upload your videos for free to your YouTube channel, and then embed them in your blog. If you need to splice or edit, there’s free software for that.
